Unsung heroes get their due

STOCKTON - Local law enforcement leaders shared compelling stories about the brave men and women who police the highways and streets of San Joaquin County on Tuesday evening at the 44th annual Law Enforcement Night Dinner Banquet at the Italian Athletic Club.

STOCKTON - Local law enforcement leaders shared compelling stories about the brave men and women who police the highways and streets of San Joaquin County on Tuesday evening at the 44th annual Law Enforcement Night Dinner Banquet at the Italian Athletic Club.

San Joaquin County Sheriff Steve Moore, Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones and California Highway Patrol Commander Rob Patrick introduced three nominees from each of their respective agencies, and one representative of each agency was named Officer of the Year.

One of the awards went to Stockton police Officer James Manor, who made more than 400 proactive stops with 56 felony arrests, 35 misdemeanor arrests and 87 firearm seizures in 2012. Another award was presented to CHP Officer Mark Tolman, who investigated 41 fatal collisions that resulted in the deaths of 49 people in 2012.

One of the most gripping introductions was that of Deputy William "Jeff" Watson, who was named Officer of the Year for the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office. Watson has served as a deputy with the Sheriff's Office since January 2007. Later that year, he was assigned to Lathrop Police Services.

Watson currently serves the Lathrop community as a gang expert and weaponless self-defense instructor. He demonstrated heroism and bravery and risked his life to save others at least twice in 2012, running into a burning home on one occasion and tackling an armed killer on another.

"Deputy Watson was quick to assess those situations, and he thought it was more important to help people in peril than waiting for help to arrive," Moore said.

Watson was conducting a burglary investigation in Lathrop on July 13 when he found there was a house on fire nearby. The home was engulfed in flames, and firefighters had not arrived.

Fearing there might be people inside, Watson forced his way into the home to usher its occupants to safety. No one was home at the time, but Watson was able to rescue the family dog.

A month later, Watson again found himself in a precarious situation when he responded to a report of a homicide shortly after midnight Aug. 12 in the 14600 block of Avon Street. As he arrived on the scene, Watson and other responding deputies heard a 7-year-old girl scream from a second-story window.

Without hesitation, Watson kicked in the front door and raced upstairs, where he encountered a gruesome scene. He found 38-year-old Charlie Dumlao kneeling over the lifeless body of his wife, Evangeline Dumlao, 43, whom he allegedly had just murdered with a large screwdriver. The couple's 8-month-old daughter was crawling on her mother, and the man was still holding the screwdriver, which was covered in blood. Watson also noticed blood on the necks of the two little girls, each of whom was injured.

Watson quickly assessed the situation and determined that deadly force was not a viable option given the possibility of harming the children. Instead, Watson and other deputies tackled and disarmed the man, who later told police he intended to kill his children after murdering his wife.

"You always refer back to your training," Watson said. "The more you train, the more you prepare, and when things happen, you just kind of react without thinking."

Watson said he was honored to be recognized along with the other nominees.

"It's nice anytime an organization comes together to recognize a job well done by law enforcement," Watson said. "Given the same circumstances, I'm sure any officer, whether it's the Sheriff's Office, the Stockton Police Department or the CHP, would have done the same things we're being recognized for tonight."